Building construction



March l0, 1942. D. D. CRANDELI.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 24, 1958 f. si'

Patented Mar. 10, 1942 tra y star LFmg;

SA ENT @if vk2,275,815 d amante ooNsfl-RUo'rloN- man. n. craneal, Buffalo, N. xgassignor to;

National Gypsum Company,` Buffalo,` N.

Application September 24, 1938*',A Serial-No; 231,572 2 Claims. (Cl. 'l2- 16) This invention relates to an improvement 1nthe'teachingof thev present invention, bey adjust'- building construction and particularly to an im'- ed1 to suit'prevailingtrade reqmrements but as a proved reinforced building element. practicalr example" and for the purpose only of In building construction it has been convendelineating the invention; rshall` refer to plaster tional to empmy monolithic slabs arranged in 5 lath unitsl which are 48" in length and designed approximately abutting relation and disposed for use with studding spaced'ratY a pitch of I6". against structural frave--work to form building The spacing of the studding may ofV courseA be walls. The problem of reinforcing or covering any practical figureandethe' overall length of the joints occurringl at the meeting edgesof such.. the plaster l-athmay besa-ny suitable multiple of' slabs has been variously approached. 10r the pitchof the studding.

The buildingslabsreferred to herein frequent- As illustrated in the drawing, a plaster lath ly take the form of lath units of plaster, fiber or element I0 of a length substantially equal to other suitable material and are supported three times the pitch of the studding is disposed against building frame-work comprising spaced with its vertical edges secured to studs II and supporting elements such as the usual scantlins I2, there being two intervening studs I3 and I4 or studding. In employing units of the plaster to which the plaster lath units may or may not lath type in building construction, a coating of be intermittently secured. The lath units of the plaster is usually applied over the entire face tiers occurring either above or below a given tier of the lath after the lath has been applied and of lath units are preferably disposed so that in such manner as to seal the joints occurring at their vertical edges are in staggered relation to the meeting edges; It has previously been prothe vertical edges of the given tier as such conposed to preliminarily cover such meeting edges struction has been found to be superior from with a metallic or other reinforcement. In genthe standpoint of rigidity and permanence.

eral such reinforcements have been assembled This is exemplified in the disposition of the lath with the plaster lath and the other elements of indicated at I5 in the second tier of Fig. 1. It the construction at the time and at the place will easily be seen that, if for no other'reason, Where the wall is being constructed. such staggering of the lath units requires the' Some suggestion of initially providing plaster use of lath units of different lengths whenever lath elements with edge reinforcing elements has a vertical wall, as the wall I8 of Fig. 1, is enbeen made but it is essential that the plaster lath countered. units be capable of cutting and tting and such In the illustrated instance full plaster lath reinforcements as have heretofore been proposed units of a length equal to three times the pitch have been 'objectionable since they have unduly of the studding may be used in the second tier interfered with cutting and fitting the plaster as at I1 but plaster lath units I8 and I9, of a lath units to such an extent as to render them length equal to only twice the pitch of the studimpractical and unsatisfactory. ding, must be used in the top and bottom tiers In the plaster lath units of the present invenrespectively. Plaster llath units, unless complition and the building construction resulting cated by relatively less frangible reinforcements, therefrom, a relatively infrangible lath edge remay be sawed like ordinary boards.

inforcement is provided and so arranged as not 40 The present invention contemplates the proto interfere with normal sizing and fitting of visionv of a series of edge reinforcing elements so plaster lath units. This object is attained in spaced as not to interfere with normal sawing or general by so proportioning and locating a pluother severing of plaster lath units. Experience, rality of plaster lath reinforcements as to anand in fact an inspection of Fig. 1 of the drawing, ticipate and take into account the normally aristeaches that such severing, in the great majority ing necessity for cutting or dividing of plaster ofinstances, must occur at points coincident with lath units. the occurrence of studding. In other words, the

One form of the instant invention is illuscutting usually is desired at points yalong the trated in the drawing in which lengths of the lath which are spaced from the Fig. l is an elevational view partly in crossend of the lath a distance equal to the pitch of section of a wall faced with plaster lath and two or more studs.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the proposed new An example of a building unit of the present building element. invention iS found in Fig. 2 where a relatively The exact proportioning of building elements frangible slab 20, of plaster, ber board or other and reinforcements therefor will, according to suitable material, has secured to one of its edges 2. a plurality of less frangible and, in the present instance, reticulated reinforcing elements 2l. The reinforcing elements 2| are secured to the slab 20 as by staples 22 and are spaced at a pitch equal to the pitch of standard studding so that a saw or other severing means may pass between the relatively infrangible reinforcements at any desired studding line.

The length of the reinforcing elements may be varied but most satisfactory results are achieved 5y making their length only slightly less than the pitch of the studding, thereby permitting passage of a cutting instrument between the reinforcements without greatly interrupting the continuity of the line of reinforcement.

As seen in Fig. l when either a full size or severed plaster lath unit is placed against building frame-work, the reinforcing `elements will project beyond one edge of their associated building element and onto an adjacent building element. Such projecting edge is normally secured lto the adjacent building element by nails or other fastening devices as at 23 and the construction of the reinforcement is such as to readily lock into a subsequently applied coating of plaster indicated in Fig. 1 at 25.

While a single specific application of the principles of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is in no way limited excepting as by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a building element comprising a lath panel and a plurality of elongate reinforcing elements comprising a part of said article and being disposed along one edge thereof in spaced end to end relation, said reinforcing elements being flat, reticulated members secured against the plaster receiving surface of said lath and having longitudinal marginal portions projecting therefrom to overlie cooperating adjacent lath elements and the several reinforcing elements being of a length less than the pitch of conventional studding and spaced from each other at a pitch substantially equal to the pitch of conventional studding whereby the lath may be secured to studding with the reinforcing elements disposed intermediate each pair of studs.

2. In building construction, the combination of studding, panel-like lath elements disposed thereagainst, and reinforcing elements forming a part of each lath element along an edge thereof extending transversely of said studding, said reinforcing elements being slightly less in length than the pitch of the studding and disposed medially between each pair of studs, whereby the panellike elements may be cut along lines between adjacent reinforcing elements to size equal to multiples of the pitch of the studding without severance of said reinforcing elements.

DEAN D. CRANDELL. 

